He said: “I had never thought or wanted to leave Swansea, but an opportunity like this doesn’t come up often in your career.

“I will always be grateful for what Swansea City has done for me and it will always be the club in my heart.

“Having been at the club since the age of eight, I had to think long and hard about leaving because I owe everything to the staff and the club in general.

“The fans have been brilliant with me. It’s quite ironic really that it was on our last American tour two years ago that I was first introduced into the first team. Then, when Neil Taylor had his bad injury soon after, I found myself a regular in the team.

“It was a massive step for me and it wasn’t easy. But the supporters were right behind me from the very start. They believed in me and gave me the backing I probably needed as a young player at the time.

“I’d like to thank them all personally, but obviously that’s not possible. Like I said, I’ll always be grateful, but I also hope they feel I have given something back to them over the last two years.

“I’ll be back to watch the boys when I can from the stand. It was sad saying my goodbyes because they’ve been great with me from the first day I joined the squad. But in the end it was an opportunity I couldn’t turn down.”